Remote Diagnostics is a healthcare technology which allows the healthcare practitioners to identify the nature of illnesses or any other problems outside the conventional healthcare settings such as at home or in the work place by use of such ingenious apparatus as telehealth response watch, RPM sensors, general examination camera and appropriate interactive software for the analysis and presentation of the captured data.

Remote Diagnostics technology is also called tele-homecare and is primarily employed in combating dementia, falls, diabetes, congestive heart failures, and infertility alongside several other medical conditions that require in-depth attention and prompt responses.

In the discussion below, the following fundamental question is going to be answered: “How Useful Is Remote Diagnostics for Healthcare Industry?” by examining the usefulness of the medical technology in healthcare systems for enlightening medical practitioners, doctors and other stakeholders in the healthcare sector.

Increases Healthcare Access

This technology allows doctors and other medical experts to reach out to a wider market or potential healthcare seekers because of not having to be limited to the confines of the traditional healthcare clinic or facility. This means that such experts are given the power to influence a much wider base regardless of their geographical locations. It also results in significantly improved revenue inflows for those experts and practitioners that avail their services for profit.

Reduced Healthcare Delivery Costs

Owing to the fact that patients are not required to be individually or physically present at the hospital, clinic or any other healthcare facility, the amount of money that such patients are required to part with while traveling to and from the healthcare facility; paying for the diagnosis, laboratory tests, and prescriptions. These wards and other in-patient healthcare resources are greatly reduced and in some instances eliminated. The reduced cost of healthcare eventually reduces their financial strains and discomforts.

Enables Early Detection of Deterioration

Certain aspects and technologies of the Remote Diagnostics such as real-time trend analysis of the psychological parameters and the remote monitoring, make it possible for the medical experts to detect any deteriorations and emergency situations as early as possible. In so doing, this prevents major problems and lapses that could have far-reaching repercussions if left unattended to in the long run. This also prevents further complications and ensures timely responses on the part of the patients.

Enhanced Diagnosis and Prescriptions

Certain ailments and medical conditions do have complex and somewhat related signs and symptoms so much so that, even the most experienced and qualified healthcare practitioners may often be confused in the course of diagnosis and prescriptions. This technology also helps in the diagnosis and prescription of the conditions and by so doing facilitates the delivery of the right care to the patients. Chances of misdiagnosis are therefore kept at bay and with it, the attendant complications and side effects. Its adoption, therefore, goes a long way in ensuring a high quality of healthcare as possible.

Saves on Time

Doctors and other medical experts are not required to be in direct physical contact with their patients under this medical provision arrangement. This is made possible by the fact that all the crucial health data such as serious events, skipped doses, and anomalies regarding the patient, are relayed to them in a prompt and timely manner. The healthcare practitioners are therefore freed from the need to be completely preoccupied with their patients and hence are accorded more time to attend to other chores and tasks that equally matter.

Increases Efficiency

The patient data that are captured by the various equipment under this scheme are very accurate. That combined with the prompt delivery of that data and the precise manner in which such data is analyzed and interpreted increases the efficacy of the healthcare services that are eventually passed on the patients. This also leads to increased overall healthcare quality.

Improved Communications

The exchange of data and critical pieces of information to and from the patient and the respective medical expert is enhanced under this medical provision arrangement mainly because of all the critical data being relayed to the doctors in real time and the most efficient manner possible. The healthcare providers are hence granted the power to make critical decisions that may save the lives of their patients in the timeliest manner.

Reduces Strains on the Available Facilities

As has already been intimated before, the patients are not at all required to visit the healthcare facilities while receiving treatments under this arrangement. Consequently, the strains that the influx of such patients would naturally put on the available healthcare resources such as the beds, waiting lounges, laboratory equipment, and benches are considerably reduced. This makes it possible for the standard healthcare facility to reach out to as many patients as possible. Besides, the doctors and other medical experts are also allowed to pay individualized attention to each of the patients.

Simplifies Complex Tasks

Certain complex health care tasks such as hemodialysis and diabetes management are greatly simplified when administered under this arrangement. That’s because they are mostly automated and are generally performed faster and with as minimal human intervention as possible. The possibilities of any lapses, mistakes or oversights in the course of such treatments are therefore greatly reduced. Complications that may naturally arise as the result of these oversights are also kept at bay.

Increased Competitive Edge

Being a relatively new technology and also, given its overall efficiency, the adoption of this treatment arrangement places that healthcare company in an advantageous position over and above the same players in its community/sphere of influence. Any healthcare company that is intent on operating at an advantage over its competitors, therefore, has no choice but to adopt it soonest possible.

Author: Shiva India

Sathya Kumar is the Founder & CEO at Techindia Infoway Pvt Ltd., Chennai. Techindia is Asia's largest provider of healthcare management solutions for exceptional remote healthcare diagnostics and patient monitoring, with a proven track of high performance for highly regulated healthcare industries and for the patients globally. You can also follow us on Linkedin